


Brú Enda

by Elipsa



Series: Brú Enda [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25453996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elipsa/pseuds/Elipsa
Summary: It had never been in his plans to keep the Deathly Hallows. His plan was to move on with his life. Get married. Have kids. Instead, he died. And came back in a new body. A body that did not age as the years passed. And the only one to keep him company was one he called Lady Death. Until Nick Fury interrupted his solace.
Series: Brú Enda [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1843636
Comments: 4
Kudos: 272





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Italicized words" = telepathy

There didn't seem to be any ground. Or sky. Or anything, really. Just empty space. And shadows that shouldn't have existed as there was no light to cast them.

He had been expecting to land in King's Cross Station, where he had gone two years ago. He expected to see Albus, but instead he ended up in this new place. He couldn't even describe the color. Not black, not white. Just… nothing.

No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't explain what he saw. "What is this place?"

" _The Between."_

He looked around, twisting and turning. He saw nothing, but he heard it. The voice. Had it been male or female?

" _You will need to wake up."_

Had to be female.

"Wake up? But… I'm already awake?" He hadn't meant for the last portion of his sentence to become a question.

" _No, you're not. You are simply in The Between."_

"The… Between?"

" _The place where you are neither alive or dead."_

"Alive, but dead… or dead, but alive?" He brought his hand up to run his fingers through his hair, but he felt nothing.

" _You are neither."_

"Am I in purgatory?"

" _No. Here, you are between life and death, but neither can touch you."_ She started to sound a bit upset.

"Uh…"

" _You had the cloak. You had the wand. You had the stone."_

"Death?"

" _No. I am the watcher of the dead, however."_

"Ok… what's your name?"

" _You do not need to know that. You need to wake up, but first I suppose you must understand."_

"Understand… what?"

" _You have new powers. Powers that a human body cannot contain. As such, they will develop over time as to not cause you permanent damage."_

"Ok… and that means… what?"

" _Make of it what you will. Your people would call you Master of Death for collecting the items, however that is untrue."_

"Well, I didn't want to control anything… or anyone, I suppose. That's why I threw the stone away and hid the wand."

" _It matters little what you want. All three must choose their master, and if all three choose the same one, then their chosen will simply not die."_

"I can't die?"

" _No."_

"I didn't want this! This must be a nightmare."

" _You know this is real, Harry James Potter. You will live and you will serve your purpose."_

"What purpose is that?"

" _For now you will act as a bridge between life and death. Souls will seek you out upon their death. You will be a gateway. "_

"I don't want this!"

" _The items chose you, and they are never wrong when choosing their owners. You were chosen, and so you shall stay."_

"For how long?"

The women did not answer.

Harry couldn't ask anything else.

He woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will only be a prologue and 5 chapters. The main point will not be centered around the Avengers, but Harry.


	2. Chapter 1

Years had passed, though he knew not how many, and he spent most of the time alone. The only times he had anyone to speak to would be when souls came to him. The number of souls he had seen had been fewer than he had expected. He only saw a few a week, if at all.

The longest he had gone without seeing a soul had been a few months.

Harry didn't know if the souls had to find their way to him. He didn't know if they had a time limit to find him. He didn't know what would happen if they didn't reach him.

He didn't want to know.

When he had woken up that first day, he had found himself inside a cabin that lay nestled in a grove of trees and a river ran about ten meters north. He had eventually followed the river and found a small village. He was also made aware of one of his new powers; he could feel people's emotions.

_Anger, happiness, annoyance, fear, delight, hunger._

The emotions ran through him, amplifying his own to the point he couldn't tell whose were whose.

After a few - _very_ direct - questions, he realized he had woken up somewhere in the Netherlands. Once he had his answers, he left the village and decided to hide in his cabin.

He spent the years whispering to the souls that found him. He learned of their lives, different lands, their secrets.

Sometimes Lady Death spoke to him, but none of the conversations gave Harry any answers. They were all a bit one sided.

He had decided on the second day to not look for his family. He didn't look like himself. Even if he did, he didn't want to watch them all die. Instead he had decided to let them go and let them live their own lives.

Ginny, Ron, Hermione… they all thought him dead. If they found out he couldn't die, how would they react? He had paused at the thought and smiled. They would have tried to help him. They would have spent the rest of their lives trying to save him.

So he passed the days in silence.

And on a day like all the others, he heard the cry of a soul.

" _Falling… falling… pain..."_

Harry couldn't figure out what the soul meant by that. Souls, like people, never fixated on the same things. Some focused on their deaths. Others a happy memory. Maybe their family. Maybe a random moment they wished had happened. Or maybe a moment they wished hadn't happened.

He walked outside and saw the little pinpoint of light floating above the water.

" _Lost… where am I going?"_

Harry sat on the steps, waiting for the soul to find him. Even if he called out to it - _him_ \- the soul would not be able to hear him until the soul was ready to listen.

" _Mommy. Daddy."_

Harry untied his loose ponytail, letting the red locks fall past his shoulders to the middle of his back. It no longer lay thick and unmanageable, but thin and easy to manipulate. The strands still grew quickly, and the reason it was now so long may in fact have been due to him forgetting to shorten it.

" _Where are you?"_

The soul floated closer and Harry yearned to pick it up in his hands to cradle him against his chest. It sounded young, too young, and very confused.

Harry found himself wondering how many souls lost themselves before ever finding him.

" _Bright. Warm. Safe."_

Finally, the soul pinpointed him and rocketed towards him. Harry smiled and held out his hands, catching the light and bringing it up to his face. "Hullo, little one."

" _Hi."_ The boy's voice became clearer, more focused. " _Where's Mommy? Daddy?"_

"I don't know." He had sworn to never lie to these souls and he had yet to break his oath.

" _Where am I?"_

"Somewhere safe."

" _Safe. Warm."_ The boy's voice, first tentative and then gaining strength the more he spoke. " _Your eyes, pretty."_

Harry smiled, "Thank you. What color are yours?"

" _Brown!"_

"Like mine?"

"… _No. Darker. Yours light, light brown. Pretty. Mommy called mine… handsome. You pretty, me handsome."_

The little boy sounded so sure of himself, Harry had to chuckle. "Of course. My mistake."

" _I miss Mommy…"_

He brought the light to his chest and wrapped his hands completely around it. It was the closest he could get to hugging a soul. "I know… I miss my Mum, too. But… you get to go to a lovely place. A new place."

" _Fun? Warm? Mommy?"_

"I don't know if your mommy will be there, but I'm sure it'll be fun for you."

" _K. Are you going?"_

"No, I have to stay here."

" _Oh… ok. When I leave?"_

"You can go now if you like."

The boy's voice grew silent, but the little ball of energy pulsated with warmth and confusion. " _Can I… stay?"_

Harry bent over so his forehead rested on his knees, encompassing his body around the soul. "No, little one. I have to let you go."

" _Please?"_

The soul soaked up the closeness of Harry, growing brighter as the moments passed. The journey to him took energy and when the souls finally reached him, they drew from him. Once they had all their energy back, the passage could be opened. The souls had to cross, otherwise the portal would close.

And the soul would disappear, leaving Harry alone and wondering what happened to them.

"You want to see your mommy and daddy, right?"

" _Yes!"_

"If you stay with me, I don't know if you'll ever see them again."

The soul grew quiet.

It burned brighter and Harry felt something connect between himself and the soul. He closed his eyes, and the next time he opened them, a door appeared before them.

They always appeared differently for each soul. For the boy, they were simple wooden doors painted in a deep green. On the other side, Harry couldn't see anything but a bright light.

"You must go now." Harry whispered, uncurling himself and holding his hands out.

" _Warm. So warm."_

Harry wondered if death felt warm. Every soul spoke of how warm the doors felt. Or maybe it was the light. Not a single one had specified.

The boy didn't speak again, simply floated through the doors and disappeared from view, the gates closing after the soul and fading away.

Harry pulled his hair back up and went to walk inside, but he froze with his hand on the door handle. He glanced around, eyes trying to find whoever watched him.

_Confusion. Wonder. Fear. Awe._

"Who's there?" Harry called out, turning around to face the river and the trees once more.

A woman stepped out from behind one of the giant trees, her hands at her side. She wore loose cargo pants, a tight black tank top and a leather jacket over it. Her shoulder length red hair blew behind her with the gust of wind.

_Calm. Caution. Wary. Secretive._

"Where is the other one?"

The woman didn't react outwardly. "It's just me." She spoke fluent Dutch.

_Fear, wonder, confusion, flighty._

Her emotions, and the emotions of the other, went haywire. Harry took a deep breath, thankful for all the time he spent talking to the souls.

After the time he spent with them, he could differentiate someone else's emotions and his own. He could keep his own calm.

"I'm sure." Harry leaned against his door.

She took another step forward. "I'm sorry for bothering you, but -"

"Who are you?"

"Natalie."

_Deception._.

"Hmm… and why should I believe you when you have done nothing but lie?"

Natalie smiled and walked forward, "I just want some answers."

"Funny that, so do I."

She stepped forward again, and again, and again when Harry made no move to stop her. She stopped her march forward until she stood at the bottom of the steps. Then she reached quickly into her pocket and pulled out her gun, pointing it at Harry's chest. "I need you to come with me."

"No."

" _I also need you to go with her. Something is coming."_

"Don't make me shoot you. I have my orders and that's to take in whoever is messing around with things they shouldn't be."

"And you know that I shouldn't be… how?"

"I have my orders."

Harry shrugged. "As do I." He turned to go inside with a sigh. "Fine, but first I want a –"

_Decisive. Trust. Patience._

_Anticipation. Determined. Confident._

The next instant, he felt a prick in his shoulder, "- cuppa," and he slumped down in a heap of loose bones and fuzzed thoughts. The last thought Harry had was that they were bloody rude.

\- BE -

Harry came to in a cell of sorts.

Grey walls, chilly temperature and a bed that seemed determined to make his back ache.

The 'of sorts' came into play as there was a door instead of bars.

Sitting up, Harry rubbed the back of his neck. He glanced around, but there were only two doors - one of which probably led to a loo - a cabinet, and the bed. He stood and began to pace.

" _You should use the gifts."_

"I don't need them," Harry said. He spoke under his breath. He kept his head down so his hair covered his face.

" _I need you here, Little One. And if you are here, you will need them. You'll be in quite the mess without them."_

"I always get in messes." Harry wished he could speak to Lady Death within his mind, but the couple of times he tried, she never replied.

Talking out loud never seemed sane, though.

" _You would have more magic at your disposal."_

"I've been fine without them."

" _I am withholding all the emotions for you at the moment, but there are many, many people here."_

Harry grit his teeth, but he didn't respond.

" _You will lose your mind and I will have no choice but to kill you and create another body for you. And then you will have to deal with another type of magic that you do not know how to handle."_

"How will having them… help me?"

" _The items are meant for you and for these powers. If you accept the items, you are essentially accepting the powers as well. They will also help you from being tracked once you leave."_

"They tracked me once. I'm sure they'll try again. They will keep following me, hunting me!" Harry snapped his head up, balling his hands into fists as his voice raised. "I will not run." He had never been good at running away. "You still have not told me why you wanted me here."

" _Then don't run. Make use of the three items, protect yourself."_

"I can't die. What's the point of protection if I can't die? And yes, I did notice you not answering my question."

" _You would still be stuck here, with more powers than you would know what to do with."_

"… Fine."

" _Tell me."_

"I accept the… gifts and I will take the responsibilities that come along with them. So I say, so mote it be."

Wind blew around him, causing his red hair to stream up above his head and the rush of air stung his arms and face.

When the gust calmed down he held the Elder Wand, the ring rested on his middle finger of his left hand, and the cloak clasped over his shoulders.

" _Your power is stronger now, but you must learn new magic. You can speak with the dead and even visit them, but there is a time limit. You can become invisible, but you must pull the hood over your head."_

The door burst open and a group of men and women stormed in, all pointing guns at him. In the front stood a tall man, his skin dark and an eye-patch over his left eye. He didn't have a gun, but held himself in such a way that there was no doubt he was in charge of the whole operation.

"What just happened?"

Harry blinked, stuffing his hands, and wand, in his pockets. He kept his mouth shut.

"I asked you a question."

"So you did. However, you brought me here for no apparent reason."

"There is a reason, and that isn't the issue at the moment."

"If I weren't here, you wouldn't have been privy to what happened, and you wouldn't have questioned me. Hence… the issue that we really have is why you brought me here."

"I will have someone shoot you in the knee."

"That's a bit drastic."

" _He will."_

"Brilliant." Harry closed his eyes and sighed. His head seemed a bit woozy and he sat on the bed, fingers running over the Elder's Wand handle. "Now what?"

" _Answer him. Unless you wish to be shot."_

"Excuse me?"

"Simple answer or… not so simple answer?" Harry looked around, thankful that Lady Death kept the emotions at bay. There had to be about twenty people in and outside the room.

Eyepatch narrowed his good eye, "Start with the simple."

"Magic."

"That isn't amusing."

"That's the simple answer." Harry moved his hands to his lap, keeping the wand in his pocket. "Now, what am I doing here?"

The man's eyebrow twitched and another man stepped up to stand beside Eyepatch – he had on a suit, had a receding hairline, and wore an ear pierce. "Magic is an excuse when the science behind it doesn't make sense."

"That's what you think." Harry answered. He eyed the guns and wondered if it would hurt when he died by other means than the killing curse. "How else would you explain any of this?"

" _A goddess, that's how."_

"That's the answer we want, Mr…?"

Harry blinked before. glancing off to the side. His right hand dropped into his pocket again, fingers clasping around the Elder Wand once more. Warmth spread up through his fingers and his magic was singing. "Harry. Just Harry."

"No last name?" Eyepatch snapped.

"No," Harry murmured. "No last name."

He died. Twice. The second time he didn't come back looking like himself. He no longer looked like a Potter. He didn't have the right to claim that last name as his own.

"What is the not simple answer?"

Harry looked up and smiled. "I have an ability. I can bring things to me. I can levitate things. When I was younger, I didn't realize what it was. Now, I call it magic." He shrugged.

" _Not lying. Impressive. Half-truths, Little One?"_

"Everyone out." Most of them obeyed Eyepatch's barked order. A few stayed behind: Suit and the woman who spoke to Harry at his home. Apparently they were fine as Eyepatch snapped, "Prove it."

Harry stared at Eyepatch. "May I have your names?"

Suit smiled, the corners of his mouth barely lifting. "We need your cooperation first."

"Ah, yes. My cooperation even though you had someone shoot me, drug me, dragged me here and demanded answers. I can't believe I thought that you guys had _any_ decency."

A shot rang out and Harry stared in wonder at the ground by his foot where a bullet-hole smoked.

"Bloody hell." He had almost been shot. Would he still feel pain? Would he feel like screaming? Would he want to die? Again and again and again?

Could he -

"I won't miss, next time." The voice pulled him back, having him focus on the woman that now stood beside Eyepatch and Suit. The woman that had talked to him earlier.

"Where's your partner?"

"How'd you know he was there?"

"Answer a question with a question. Fascinating."

Eyepatch practically snarled. "Proof."

"Pick something, preferably small, for me to levitate," Harry said with an eye roll

"The bed."

"How is that small?"

"The bed."

"Not the woman?"

"The. Bed."

Of course Eyepatch wanted him to levitate the thing that Harry sat on. Cocking his head, Harry eyed the grey blankets and wondered if he could lift it with him still sitting on it.

" _Only one way to find out."_

Lady Death seemed too amused for his own good.

Shrugging, Harry drew the Elder Wand and pointed it at the bed and gave an experimental swish and a flick to remind himself of the motions. Before he could repeat the motion and utter the incantation, the bed started to rise.

Harry glanced from the wand, to the bed, back to the wand.

" _I did tell you that you would be stronger."_

Harry didn't deign that with an answer.

Once he lowered the bed back down, he stared at the people around him.

Everybody just stared at him. Harry couldn't help it, he snickered.

Eyepatch got a hold of himself the fastest. "What was that energy spike?"

"What's your name?"

Eyepatch opened his mouth - most likely to argue - but Suit answered, "Phil Coulson, it's a pleasure to meet you." Harry inclined his head with a wry smile. "Now, the director asked you a question."

"He wasn't very specific. What energy spike? Just now? When I received my… items?" Harry twirled the Elder Wand before tucking it behind his ear.

"When you were in the Netherlands."

"Again, more specifics would be helpful. I stayed there for a while."

"Right before Agent Romanoff talked to you."

"The soul?"

Silence.

Harry cocked his head, trying to figure out what emotions they felt. He hadn't realized he would miss feeling them. Weird. Then again, with so many people it would not end well for him.

"Soul?" Apparently Phil Coulson spoke for Eyepatch.

Harry didn't answer them, but he asked quietly under his breath, "What can I tell them?"

" _They know of gods."_

Gods? They knew of… gods? Gods existed? Taking the cryptic answer, Harry answered Phil's question, "I'm a… Shepard for the Dead. I create a passage from this world to the world where they need to go to move on."

"A Shepard?"

The director didn't sound convinced.

"I don't think there's an actual name for what I do."

" _Brú enda."_

"Brú enda?"

" _Bring to the end bridge. Path Bringer."_

"I'm going to stick with Shepherd for the Dead."

"Who are you speaking to?"

Harry blinked up at the director. "Lady Death."

Again with the silence.

"Look, you believe in gods, yes?"

"I've met one."

"Really?" Harry turned his attention once more to Phil. "Which one?"

"Thor."

He would have to ask Lady Death who Thor was. Later. "Huh... okay, so... Thor isn't from around here. It's like that. I work with a… being who watches over the dead." He shrugged. "That's how I understand it."

"What is 'Brú enda'?"

Harry scrunched his nose, "Loosely translated: bring to the end bridge. She said the exact translation is Path Bringer. Shepherd of Death sounds a tad better."

The director frowned, "So that energy flux was… a soul that you were taking… to a different world?"

"Leading to wherever the dead go." Harry shrugged. "In a manner of speaking. They have to find me and once they have enough energy, a pathway opens up and they have the chance to move there if they desire."

"If they don't?"

"I'm not sure. I have my theories, but no proof. Lady Death tells me basically nothing."

The director said nothing. He just… turned and left, the others following.

" _I tell you nothing?"_

"Well… the important things you leave out."

All of a sudden, a gateway seemed to open up. Emotions slammed into Harry with no warning.

" _Learn to compartmentalize otherwise you'll go insane. Good luck."_

He really should remember to not piss off Lady Death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda sorta looked up Old Norse for this, but I can't guarantee that it's correct. So… On that note… here you go:
> 
> Brú = bridge
> 
> Enda = bring to an end
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!


	3. Chapter 2

Harry rubbed his forehead. For the past month, he had been sorting through the emotions around him and tying them to whoever they belonged to. Instead of the onslaught of emotions that he had first experienced he could, mostly, focus on one person at a time and feel their emotions the strongest.

Other emotions were still there, muted like background noise, but he couldn't quite silence them.

Though straining through the emotions left Harry with a constant headache.

_Calm. Forced calm._

Blinking his eyes a few times, Harry stood up and walked to the door.

_Fear._

His body froze, his eyes widened and his breathing accelerated. His heart pounded, his chest ached and his muscles tensed. His hand curled around his wand. He closed his eyes. He fought to calm himself.

Fear hadn't been an emotion that he sensed in the aircraft. A few people felt it whenever they came near him, but never so many people felt that one overpowering emotion at once.

Stalking forward, Harry only sort of paused before using the Elder Wand to unlock the door. He stepped outside of the room he had been given. The guards on either side of him took a step back and aimed their guns at him. "You are not permitted to leave your room without Agent Coulson."

Harry rolled his eyes at the rote order

His magic no longer needed words; instead, if he held the Elder Wand and held true to his intention, his magic would obey.

Another swish of his wand had the guns turning into plastic toys. He walked past the guards, grabbing the hood of his cloak and throwing it over his head.

"Where'd he go?"

"Split off to find him"

"Right. I'll call it in."

The two guards' took off in different directions, and Harry had to press against the wall as one of them - Agent Matthews, if he remembered correctly - rushed down the hall.

Once his two guards were finally out of sight, Harry began walking through the helicarrier and towards the odd phenomenon of emotions.

He didn't know how long he walked, and he knew that he ended up going around in circles a few times. He went down some corridors repeatedly, following emotions and trying to not let them overwhelm him.

" _Where am I?"_

Harry froze, his ears catching the voice - woman, elder but not old.

" _I'm tired. I just want to stop."_

Taking a deep breath, Harry began following the voice.

" _Why can't they see me? Why did I come here? My son, my baby, where is he?"_

Harry cringed and hurried, nearly jogging down the hallway, trying to breathe through the terror that hung thicker around him.

" _Why? I want to go back. I want my son. I want my husband. Why am I here?!"_

Harry tried to open the door in front of him, but it wouldn't budge.

" _Please. Please…"_

Without thought, Harry blasted the door open and charged forward.

He heard yells and he passed by three agents who fired at the door. A man, wearing a sweater and loose cargo pants, huddled into a corner.

Harry ignored all of them, going to the far corner where a tiny flame of a soul flickered.

" _I'm tired. So tired."_

Why didn't she come to him? They always did when they were about to fade.

The soul flickered again and Harry's heart ached.

" _Your gift, Path Bringer. You can't be seen."_

He ripped off his hood, ignoring the shouts. He cried out in pain as a bullet tore through his shoulder, even as someone yelled for a cease fire.

" _Warmth? Who are you? Oh… you can't hear me. But you're so warm."_

She drifted towards him, and he held out his hands, ignoring the pain and the blood dripping down his arm. "Come here," he murmured. "Come on. You'll feel better in no time."

"Who's he talking to?"

"Someone notify the director!"

"Get equipment in here! See what's going on! Go!"

" _You can see me?"_

"Yeah, I can see you." He sat, right in front of her.

She flew straight into his arms, her soul sobbing and screaming, wanting answers. He felt his own tears trailing down his cheeks as she screamed and screamed and screamed.

He held her close to his chest, shielding her even if no one but he saw her. He bowed his head to keep others from seeing his reactions.

Harry said nothing, cradling her as she grew stronger. Her soul shone brighter, her words held a vigor that hadn't been there before.

Her screaming finally stopped and her words tapered off.

They sat in silence, Harry holding the terrified woman - wife, mother, entrepreneur.

" _Now what?"_

"Now… you have a choice."

" _Choice?"_

Harry nodded, letting his body straighten so he was no longer out of sight. He brought her soul up to his face, so they could look at one another. "Where you go. You either fade, or you go through your door when it appears."

"I don't see anything."

"Nothing is coming up on the monitor."

"What do you mean nothing is showing up?" Eyepatch apparently arrived.

" _But… wasn't I already fading?"_

"Yes."

" _Why didn't you let me just go?"_

Leave her? Alone, terrified, and so very confused? No, he couldn't do that.

"It's your choice."

" _What happens if I fade? Or if I go through this… door?"_

"I don't know what happens when you fade. You just… disappear. If you go through your door, you enter your own space in death."

" _Can I see my family there?"_

Harry looked over the soul and blinked at the door that stood next to the strange man - the man who looked a little green in the cheeks.

The door was metal, with an engraving of what had to be her family: a man holding the boy against his chest, the man's face hidden in the curls of his son.

"Maybe… I don't exactly know what happens once you pass through the doors."

" _It's so warm."_

Harry smiled and stood up, weaving as his sight wavered and he was reminded that he had been _shot_. Again. Though with an actual gun and not a tranquilizer.

When his vision cleared, Harry walked towards the door and the man. There were shouts of an energy spike, but Harry ignored them and went to the door. It opened and she floated on through, her quiet, " _Thank you"_ , barely reaching his ears.

The door closed and it vanished.

"It's gone."

Harry blinked and turned, catching sight of the director, the strange man and other people standing around a strange contraption.

"Hello."

"What are you doing out here?"

Harry frowned, his uninjured arm holding his other arm close to his stomach, his blood staining his clothes.

' _Well, you did get yourself in a mess.'_

Shrugging, Harry replied, "Fear. Lots of fear, centered around a forced calm. Have to admit, had me a bit curious. Then I heard a soul calling out." His eyes fell to the floor, staring at the puddle of blood growing there, red mixing with the silvery grey of the tile. "She almost vanished…"

Had there been others who had disappeared because they couldn't get to him?

"What was that spike?"

How many simply vanished because they had been traveling to him and he was just… gone?

Anger, his own, rose and he straightened his spine. He looked at the director and released his arm to grab his wand. "I'm leaving."

" _They will hunt you."_

"You can't leave."

Harry grinned, all teeth as he pointed his wand at his arm and the bullet came tearing out. He hissed in pain and shock, but he didn't drop his gaze from the director. He grit his teeth as he directed his magic to heal his arm.

Finished, Harry tightened his fingers into a fist.

"Then I'll just fight you one way or another."

"We'll track you down. We did that with him." The director gestured to the man beside him.

Harry eyed the poor sod. "Humans are not your toys to play with."

"You'll find out that you're wrong."

Multiple guns pointed at him.

" _I need you here."_

Harry simply crossed his arms. "Really?"

" _Yes."_

"An issue came up. The whole world is at risk, and we want you to be added to this group."

"A group?"

"A group to protect the world when needed. A group of people with incredible powers. In body or mind. Or both."

"Not interested."

"You would leave the world to fall in ruin?"

"Saved the world already, and I'm still paying the price." He looked to where the gate had once been. "Being here, helping you, moving around means souls can't find me, or can't make it to me in time."

"And they are more important than the ones still alive?"

Harry straightened his back and stalked forward, but found his path blocked by the small redhead. _Romanoff_ , his mind supplied. She stood close enough that her head almost brushed against his shoulder and he could smell the subtle hint of her perfume.

She said nothing, but her eyes flickered to her left. Harry followed her glance and found the strangely dressed man taking deep breaths and looking more green than before.

Romanoff eyed Harry for a moment before she moved aside. She went to the stranger to whisper something. The man nodded and the two left the room.

"Tell me, do you care what happens when you die?" Harry shook his head, focusing once more on the director. "Are you so narrow minded that you don't realize there's more -" he held his arms out. "That there's more out there than this place?

There could be no other way he could describe it.

"That isn't what my job entails. Besides, how do you know the right ones are being passed on. That the ones that _fade_ aren't the truly evil ones."

Harry snorts. "Who are you to decide who gets to move? No one. They died, they deserve the peace, no matter who they are or what they've done." He continued forward, Elder Wand in hand and he made a sweeping motion over the room, freezing everyone but himself and the director.

"Thousands will die. Nothing will be left. Your," he paused, his nose wrinkling, "job will be pointless."

" _I still need you here.."_

Harry narrowed his eyes, his lips pulling down. "I will stay, but not locked up. And I will not join your group." He slipped out of the room and meant to follow the forced calm again because he simply had to know why everyone felt so… so terrified. And maybe come up with a way so the others stopped feeling scared. If he did that, he would rid himself of his migraine.

Eyepatch swept past him, "Come to the bridge."

Harry thought to argue, but the man seemed to be going in the same direction as Harry. If he happened to move somewhere different later, the director didn't have to know right away.

He briefly lost his balance as the whole place shifted and Harry looked around. The director hadn't stopped walking, so the movement had to be planned. Shrugging, Harry continued on.

They walked a few minutes before Eyepatch walked into a room, calling out, "Gentlemen. Agent Romanoff." Harry followed the man in. Coulson was there, along with Mr. Green who stood near Romanoff and a bulky blonde man. Harry bit back any words he may have wanted to say when the blonde moved towards Eyepatch.

The man handed the director some flimsy kind of parchment .

Odd.

"Doctor," Eyepatch glanced over at Dr. Green, "thank you for coming. I apologize for our first meeting. Thank you for agreeing to come."

Hazel and blue eyes flicked to Harry. The doctor turned his attention to the director, but the taller man tilted his head at Harry.

"Thanks for asking nicely." Dr. Green looked at Harry, "So, uh… you are?"

The young man fidgeted when everyone's attention fell on him. "Harry."

And everyone but the blonde looked away again. The doctor and director continued their question when the other man walked towards Harry. "Steve Rogers. A pleasure to meet you." He held his hand out.

"How long will I be staying?" Dr. Green asked, his voice soft.

Harry eyed the hand before warily reaching out, wincing at Roger's firm handshake. The man released Harry's hand, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry."

Harry smiled, his lips barely turning upwards, "You're fine."

"Where are you with that?" Dr. Green's voice had Harry tuning in, but soon lost interest as Coulson began speaking.

Harry glared at the director as he leaned closer to Steve. "Well, I'll be off. Pleasure to meet you as well, Steve."

Without waiting for a reply, Harry took off for the exit, but the director turned to him. "Where are you going?"

"To sleep. I have a headache because of him." He gestured to Dr. Green who spluttered.

"Excuse me?"

Harry blinked before what he said caught up to him. He felt his face burn, his cheeks stinging. Not a good sight with his hair. After all, Ron had never -

"Sorry. It's not really your fault, but everyone else's. Except Steve. They're all terrified for some reason. Having to deal with that many - oh, hullo!"

The two men who had been guarding his room came bursting onto the bridge, and Harry couldn't have been more grateful.

Only when he saw their faces - flushed, eyes narrowed and fingers twitching - did Harry remember what he had done. He snapped his fingers. "Right. Your guns. Lets see them, then. I'll change them back for you." When the two didn't move, Harry crossed his arms, "Do you really want to carry around plastic guns?"

Their faces turned a unique purple, but they held out their weapons.

"We got a hit. Sixty-seven percent match. Weight, cross match, seventy-nine percent."

Harry pulled out the Elder Wand and pointed it at the men, grinning as they flinched.

"Location?"

Harry thought they would put their weapons on the floor and step away. He waited, but neither moved. Romanoff said something to Dr. Green and the two left, Harry pouting at their backs.

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding."

Flicking the Elder Wand, the two toys returned to normal. The men moved their guns from hand to hand, their eyes never wavering from Harry.

"Captain, you're up."

Grinning, Harry turned to Coulson. "Who'd you find?"

"Captain." The director's voice barked out.

Coulson narrowed his eyes. "His name is Loki."

"Captain!"

Harry pocketed his wand. "Loki? Huh. Cool name. Who's that?"

" _Captain!"_

Looking around, Harry found his gaze landing on Steve who had snapped a salute at the director. "Sorry, sir. I understand, sir." The man muttered before he quickly left.

Shrugging, Harry turned his attention to Coulson. "So, who's Loki and what did he do?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, Harry is a bit powerful. There's a reason. You'll find out said reason later. :) Let me know your guesses?


	4. Chapter 4

Harry stepped towards the viewing screen, watching the people trudging into the Helicarrier. One was a man wearing black leather pants, his tunic and cape were also black, but edged in green. The man had chains around his wrists. Harry blinked as his magic hummed under his skin and he just knew that if the man wanted to escape, the chains would mean absolutely nothing.

A Gryffindor colored robot - who others had told him was actually a man named Tony Stark - walked with Steve behind the chained man who Harry assumed was Loki, god of mischief or some such rot.

Harry snickered under his breath at the outfit Steve wore. Seemed a bit much with the spandex.

"That… is Loki?" He thought it a reasonable question. A lot of leather for a god _._

A man - also in leather with a red cape and long blonde hair - stormed into the Helicarrier after the other three. He would have followed, but some agents had gestured to a different area and said something. Thor, Harry supposed as the name had been bandied about, had nodded and stomped away after having received directions.

Eyepatch - someone had told him the director's name, but Harry figured Eyepatch suited the man better - didn't answer Harry's question.

Five minutes later found Loki in the containment facility. It had originally been built for something called the Hulk. Thor, Rogers, and Stark joined Harry and the director. Bruce Banner, the man Harry had dubbed Dr. Green, had decided to keep his distance from the gods.

" _Little One, may I borrow your body? I will grant you a boon if it is within my power to give."_

"What is the meaning of this?" Thor's voice boomed out, causing Harry to divert his attention from the monitors to the hulking god. Thor gestured and frantically paced about, his attention never staying in one place long, "Why have you taken -" until his gaze landed on Harry. "You are... a Brú Enda. Of sorts." His eyes narrowed, and Harry resolved to ask him about the 'of sorts' comment later.

Harry quirked his lips into a smile, his mind mostly on how he could have Lady Death repay the debt. "Yes."

Thor blinked.

The air around them picked up and whirled around Harry, and he felt his body shifting, changing. When the wind died, Harry had no control of his body, yet he stayed aware of everything.

"You… How?" Thor's eyes widened as his lips stretched into a grin. "Niece! How were you able to leave your realm?"

Niece?

"Who is she?!"

"Where is Harry?"

"What happened?"

"Greetings, Uncle. I will not be able to stay long." The voice that left their mouth was Hel's. It was odd hearing her voice when it wasn't in the confines of his mind. Wait...

Uncle?!

" _Calm, Little One. All is well. Now, I have someone I must talk to."_

Their body backed into the closest corner. "I will speak with my father now."

_Father?!_

The shadows wrapped around them, welcoming them in their warmth and whisking them away. Moments later, the shadows gently deposited them into the room with Loki.

They walked forward, hips swaying with each step until they stood in front of the cage. Loki looked out the other side, unaware of their presence. Once they stood in front of the glass, they raised their hand and slid on through, the glass felt like nothing more than curtains.

Once through, they smiled and said, "Hello, Father."

Loki turned around, his eyes widened. "Hel?"

_HELL?!_

" _Shush."_

They reached out, cupping Loki's cheeks in their hands. "I am here to clear your mind."

"I do not -"

They didn't wait for him to finish. Hel pressed their fingers into Loki's skin and pressed their forehead against Loki's, their faces inches from his. They smiled before they breathed in deeply. Loki's eyes narrowed and he hissed something, but they held firm when Loki tried to break out of their hold.

They didn't break eye contact, despite Loki's struggles, despite the yells outside the cage, despite Harry confusion.

They chanted something, but Harry couldn't understand what Hel was having them speak. The odd words spilled from their lips. Loki fought like a hellcat, hissing and screeching.

Time no longer seemed important, all that mattered were the words spoken and the grip they had on Loki.

When they finished chanting, they lowered their face a bit, their lips near Loki's, and breathed in. And in. And in. Never pausing to exhale.

Loki's skin burned under their palms, turning from pale to a light blue, ridges of puckered skin weaved designs over his face. His eyes darkened to red. Loki's shoulders drooped and then the memories flooded into their mind, too quick for Harry to make sense of.

_Loki and Thor arguing._

_Children?_

_Giants with blue skin and red eyes._

_Loki panicking._

_Flamethrower Robot._

_Throne._

_Bridge._

_Falling._

_Falling._

_Falling…_

_Space creatures._

_Torture._

_Bright blue glow._

_Haze._

_Whispers._

_Hel._

_Hel with her waist length hair, starting in the deepest shade of black at her scalp, but fading to white at the tips. Black, grey, white. Her face was a creamy tan on one side, bone and skin and tissue on the other, but when she wore her cloak, her decaying side appeared as healthy as the other side. She didn't stand very tall, the tip of her head not even reaching Loki's shoulders. Her whole body, dainty, fragile, or so it seemed._

_Hel._

_Loki's daughter._

_Clarity._

_Hope._

Loki exhaled and Harry felt Hel's elation wash through him. They sucked in another mouthful of air, and something blue, sickly and slimy, passed between Loki and them. Hel had them swallow it down.

They released Loki's cheeks and stumbled back, exhaling softly.

" _I am sorry. I cannot destroy this."_

Hel left him completely and Harry tripped, coughing and hacking. He stumbled, crumpling to his knees.

Something lodged in his throat, his stomach. He couldn't breathe.

Red hair fell over his face and he hacked up blood, spilling it onto the floor.

"What… what?"

And then the emotions hit him, and he couldn't keep them at bay.

_Anger._

_Fear._

_Fury._

"Get him out!"

_Confusion._

_Worry._

"What's he doing in there?"

_Terror._

"What did Loki do?"

_Determination_.

"Niece, what did you _do?_ "

_Calm._

Harry grasped onto the calm like a lifeline. Calm, he had to focus on the calm.

Coughing racked his body, but he couldn't force air into his lungs.

" _I am sorry. For this pain. There was no other way."_

"What do we do?!"

"We can't leave him in there!"

"Sir, orders?"

Harry scratched at the floor, hoping to distract from the way his stomach twisted and his body caved in on itself.

"No… other way?" He gasped out.

Harry fought for breath. Why? Why did he fight?

Didn't he want this? Maybe this time he would stay dead. He hoped he'd stay dead.

Cold hands grasped his face and forced Harry to look up. Green eyes stared at Harry. And pale skin, not blue.

Green eyes?

Harry felt sweat drip down into his eyes and down his nose. "Your eyes… green, not blue. Better. Much better. Why… were they… blue? Red? She said… only… talk. What… happened? She said… talk." He coughed, his eyes squeezing shut. He tried to turn his head so he wouldn't spit blood or saliva on Loki, but the god held firm. He rambled, but Loki let him.

Loki breathed in and out, his eyes never wavering from Harry's.

"Let them be."

' _Thor?'_

Harry focused on Loki.

He didn't notice his own breathing becoming shallower.

He focused on the calm emitting from the god.

He didn't notice his fingers and toes going numb.

He focused on the fingers on his skin.

He didn't notice his eyesight tunneling.

He focused on green, green eyes.

He didn't notice when he fell into the blackness.

\- BE -

" _Little One."_

Harry gritted his teeth. "What do you want? Just… poof me back in a new body."

" _I will."_

He had to go back. "Good. Right now would be preferable."

" _You're annoyed at me."_

"Annoyed may be a bit soft."

" _Furious. Angry. Loathing. Spiteful. One of those?"_

"Actually…"

" _I saved my father."_

"He would have been fine! He's a god. I'm just a wizard!"

" _Who can't die."_

"I just did! Besides, he's older than you! Your daddy can't handle himself?"

" _His mind was not his own, Little One. If he were to die, it would not be because he couldn't fight back, it would be because he would never have had the chance to. Now he can."_

Harry snarled, pacing back and forth.

She waited.

He paced some more before his shoulders sagged and he sighed, "You owe me for this."

" _I am aware. Little One, you -"_

"Just… send me back. Please."

\- BE -

Harry sat up, gasping for breath. He wheezed, his chest heaving.

His throat felt on fire and his body didn't feel right.

He glanced down.

His limbs weren't as long as before. He shook his hair out in front of him and found it a chestnut color that fell down to his shoulders. He held up his hands in front of his face and wiggled his short, thick fingers.

_Shock._

_Confusion._

_Wariness._

The emotions floated over him, but didn't overwhelm his mind like before. They seemed quieter, muted. He glanced around and found himself still in Loki's cell, with the god leaning against his bed not far from where Harry sat.

There was no trace of blood or bile or anything on the god, on Harry, or on the floor.

Loki sat staring at him, open curiosity in his eyes.

"You seem as if you are one of my daughter's, but not." He narrowed his eyes. "You are one of the Brú Endas. You lead souls to Hel."

"What the hell happened?"

Harry ignored the director in favor of focusing on Loki.

"I thought her name was Hell."

"It is."

"She's named after… Hell?"

Loki smirked. "Not quite."

"I would like an answer!" Fury's voice had Harry sighing. When he stood up, he paused. Everything felt… wrong. Shorter.

Loki stood beside him, and Harry found himself just past the god's waist.

His eyes widened and he patted himself down. "No. Oh no, please tell me I'm not… I'm not…"

"You are in the body of a child." Loki said. "Perhaps a child ten years of age here on Miðgarðr."

"Miga-what?"

"Miðgarðr."

"Midgard, Brú Enda."

Harry turned to Thor who stood near the glass case. Eyepatch, Coulson, Romanoff, Banner, Stark, and Rogers loitered around the god.

"Yes. That answers that splendidly, thank you." His voice squeaked and Harry felt his face flush. "I have to go through _puberty_? _Again_? Not happening. Somebody shoot me in the head. I'll answer the question on whether or not it's painless."

"That would not be wise."

Harry turned to glare at Loki. " _Right, Lady Death's daddy. I have just been used by Lady Death because I'm expendable and he's… well."_ Harry's shoulders slumped. " _Family."_

Loki's eyes narrowed and Harry hastily looked away. " _Right. It's creepy when I just stare at people."_

"We shouldn't test how often you can die before you stop coming back." Coulson spoke from his place outside the containment box.

Harry shrugged, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "I can die, but I don't _stay_ dead unless she frees me, and I don't think that's happening anytime soon."

"Frees you?"

"All of Hel's Brú Endas are under contract with a specified time of service. You do not have one?"

Harry glanced over at Thor, "No. Or at least, it was never specified."

"Whoa. Hold it. Can we go back to how you went from a redhead male, to a female with crazy hair and a half decaying _body,_ to a _child_?"

"My name's Harry."

"That doesn't explain the whole changing bodies and _gender_."

"Magic."

"Magic…" Stark had taken off his helmet, holding it under his arm. "How is -"

"The more pressing matter is that he's in there. With Loki."

Harry stared at the captain, his mouth twitching. " _How is he comfortable wearing so much spandex?"_

"Practice. That isn't -"

"Cap?"

" _What_ , Stark?"

"Practice? You were saying something about pressing problems and then you just randomly state practice. We should just… take Harry out, not practice."

"I was answering the boy's question."

"I'm not a _child_! And I didn't ask a question."

Harry started pulling at his hair and glanced over at the smirking god beside him.

"What?"

"You did ask him a question." Thor answered, bemused, and Harry's attention went to the blonde.

"I didn't!"

"Enough!"

Everyone went quiet.

" _Of course everyone obeys Eyepatch without hesitation."_

"What did you just call me?"

Loki chuckled.

"Now what?" Harry threw his hands up. "Look, all I know is that Lady Death asked me if she could borrow my body. Except she then went on to 'clear his mind'", he spat out the last three words with vitriol, "and apparently I had to _die_ for her to do so because I can come back, but the god can't."

" _Just being used. Again. Always."_

"Brú Enda, you do not understand-"

"Don't understand _what_?" Harry growled, walking to the glass and glaring at Thor. " _Probably not very effective in my ten year old body."_ "That I was supposed to die when I was one because of a crazy mad man, but didn't because my mother did some kind of protection magic? That I should have died when I was eleven because a malevolent spirit of a dark lord wanted me dead, but didn't because I have an absurd amount of luck? That I should have died when I was twelve because I was bit by a Basilisk, but didn't because a Phoenix decided that it should cry for me? That I should have died when I was fourteen, but didn't because someone else had to die for me? That I should have died when I was fifteen instead of…" his voice cracked, " _Sirius"_ but he continued on, "That I should have died when I was seventeen because everyone else decided that I had to be the one to kill a madman, but I didn't because I carried a piece of his soul in me and that it died instead of me? That I should have died ten years ago because of a Death Eater, but I didn't because I gathered Lady Death's three pieces and they decided that I just had to work for her and now I can't die because I just come back inside another body and will you all stop feeling _pity_?! I don't want it!"

Harry's magic danced around him, slamming against the ground and the glass.

A cold hand pressed against his head and Harry removed his gaze from Thor's distraught face to Loki's calm presence.

He clung to that calm and took deep breaths, wincing as his words came back to him.

" _Pathetic. Why did they have to choose me?"_

Loki didn't crouch or kneel to Harry's level. He raised Harry's chin up and tilted his own face down.

"They chose you because of your actions, as I'm sure Hel explained. Stop fussing. And Hel is not Death." The god's voice was merely a whisper, unheard by the others.

"Hey, get away from Copperfield!"

Harry paused a moment before growling out, "How many bloody times do I have to tell you that my name is _Harry?_!" But he didn't look away from Loki. The calm from the god did wonders for his frayed nerves.

Loki's lips twitched upwards in a smirk. "You are not very frightening for a child."

"I am no child!"

"You are compared to me." The god shrugged, turning Harry's head this way and that, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Your powers are strange," he murmured, mostly to himself.

Harry rolled his eyes. " _Another odd thing about - wait… how did he answer my question? I didn't ask about the Hollows out loud."_

Loki removed his fingers from Harry's chin and backed away from the child. "When you die, you will be gifted with Hel's gifts. That is why you must be cautious. If you are killed before you learn to control one, you will then have to learn how to control two powers at once. Then again, not even Hel knows how many powers each of her Brú Endas will end up having." His words tapered off as he thought out loud.

"Umm… am I the only one confused here?" Tony called out. "I don't like it. Why is Reindeer Games not trying to escape or kill the kid?"

"Not. A. Kid!" Harry whirled around and glaring at the man. " _He's supposed to be a genius?"_

"I am a genius!"

"Why is everyone answering questions that I'm not even asking?"

Everyone stopped speaking at that, and it was Thor who answered, "You are broadcasting your thoughts to us, of course. It is only when you are meeting our gazes."

Harry blinked at the god. " _They can hear my thoughts? Well, there goes my…"_ Harry paled "… _privacy. When I was ranting, did they? Did I? No… Stop."_ Looking up at Thor, Harry shook his head and ignored the remorse and the… understanding? " _What does he know about losing the only family you've had because you were different?"_

Thor cringed.

"Stay out of my mind." Harry dropped his gaze to the floor. He had enough people in his head for many, many years to come.

"He does not have the ability to block your thoughts." Harry whirled around, his hand clutching the Elder Wand, to stare at Loki. "He has little ability outside of battle. Asgard is a warrior kingdom, sworn to protect the nine realms. They do not care much for magic and do little to learn it or protect themselves from it."

" _Stark had a point though, why does Loki not attempt to escape? He is a god, a little cage is nothing."_

Loki raised an eyebrow before turning his attention to Eyepatch.

Harry huffed when no one spoke. He stuffed a hand in his oversized pant pocket. Looking down, his lip curled up that the pants he wore barely hung on, held in place by what had to be magic. The shoulders of his shirt hung down his biceps. Waving the Elder Wand, the clothes shrunk, but were still a bit looser than most would want.

After that he just… waited.

"Get out here."

Harry blinked at the director. " _Seriously? He orders me around as if I'm one of his minions?"_

Just to be ornery, Harry sat, crossed his arms and legs and glared at the director. The director glared right back.

" _Well, fuck that."_

"So... I'm guessing whatever happened to you has to do with death, destruction, or carnage?" Harry fell onto his back, staring up at the ceiling as he spoke to Loki. "From what?"

"The one you're sharing a cell with."

Harry glanced over at Eyepatch and raised an eyebrow. "If he wanted, this container wouldn't hold him. He's allowing himself to be kept here. I'm sure Thor knows that."

"Any damage to the container means that it will fall."

"Did you not see me phase through the glass as if it were nothing?" Harry waved his hand in the air, staring at the tiny appendages. He let his arm flop back to the floor before turning his head so his cheek rested on the cool ground and he could stare at Loki. "So, what did Lady Death save you from?"

Loki sat on the bed with his booted feet on the mattress. He leaned against the wall, propping his arm on his knee. "A lifetime of mindless servitude." He idly messed with his nails.

"Cheers. Now what?"

"A war is coming. I imagine you will be needed for the souls that will surely depart."

"Is that a threat?" Fury growled.

Loki didn't look at the man, but instead Thor. "He'll know that I am no longer under his control and that I will not bring him what he desires."

"Who, brother?"

"What did he want?"

The darker haired god sneered, but he answered Thor, the word coming out clipped and unfeeling, "Thanos."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I come up with ideas for stories, I have a scene that sparked the idea. The scene with Hel, Harry, and Loki is that scene for this story. I didn't know what happened before or after. I just knew I had to make it there. And, voila, here we are (admittedly with a lot of changes than I had first thought, but c'est la vie). :)


	5. Chapter 4

After a few minutes of mindless yelling from the peanut gallery, Harry looked over at Loki and asked, "I have a headache, can you just show them that you can leave the cell and -" Loki disappeared. Without a sound. He did not reappear. "... well, I wasn't going to suggest you leave _completely_."

The cacophony outside the cage increased and Harry sighed, stood, and turned on the spot. The loud crack of disappartion still echoed in the room when he reappeared in the far corner of the room no one else occupied.

Stark looked hilarious as he whirled around in circles, Eyepatch barked some mindless orders, Romanoff tensed at the unknown threat, and Thor calmly turned around and locked eyes with Harry.

"Brú Enda, where is my brother?"

That brought everyone's attention back on Harry, with guns pointed at him by three different people. Harry held up his hands in the universal sign of _I come in peace, please don't shoot me_. "I couldn't tell you. I just asked him to show you all that he was here of his own free will and that he could apparate at any time. That way, you could all _belt up_ and listen. I could also leave at any moment, but I need to be here."

"Why? And what is this apparate?"

Harry kept his eyes on the gun in Romanoff's hand, walking towards the group. "Look, I -"

Someone appeared behind Harry, he could tell when Romanoff's gun shifted slightly.

"What the hell are we - where am - Are you pointing a _gun_ at me, Nat?" And apparently Loki had not returned alone.

Harry turned around and saw Loki with two people at his side. A man with a bow and a man in a lab coat. Harry crossed his arms and glared at the god, "I did not just mean for you to up and _leave_ me alone with these guys. I could have gotten _shot_."

Loki tilted his head, a smirk pulling his lips upwards, and seemingly unworried by the other humans, "Death will not hold you."

"Yes, but dying isn't _fun._ That's the _third_ time I've died. That's twice too many, thank you."

"How old are you?" Stark's voice came from behind Harry.

"What year is it?"

"You don't know what _year_ it is?"

Harry glanced over his shoulder as he shrugged, "Why would I care?"

"What about T.V.?"

"I don't watch T.V. I prefer reading."

"You _what?_ What about computers, internet, and while newspapers are outdated, surely-"

"I hate reporters, so I ignore newspapers and I've never owned a computer," Harry interrupted. "I've spent most of my time outside or in my room. I feel no need to change that now."

"It's _2012_." The billionaire sounded affronted and Harry grinned sheepishly.

"Ah, then I'm thirty-two. If it's past July" He shook his head and glanced at the two men beside Loki. The older man looked like he was ready to bolt while the archer seemed a bit confused and more than a little angry - though that ire seemed to be at Romanoff for whatever reason. "And who are the two that you brought with you?" He asked the god.

Loki hadn't looked away from Harry, "They're mortals. What care do I have for their names?"

"Great. I'm dealing with another entitled prat. I thought I was done with them when I left Malfoy behind, but now I have to deal with a _god_ whose daughter I work for. This is just _great_." He threw his hands up, and continued over whatever Loki was going to say next, "Look, can we talk about this Thanos guy and why he wanted to control your mind?"

"You are not in charge here," Fury growled.

"Great, so you've fought an alien before who could mind control a _god_ and won. What information do you have to share?"

"I -"

"You don't. Moving on. I want information so this doesn't happen to Lady Death's father again and I can go home. If that means cleaning up the mess all of you created, then fine, so be it. We're going to a conference room."

"I'll shoot you."

"Empty threat. I'll just come back. You literally just saw me do that."

"It'll make me feel better."

Harry quickly stormed up to the man, wand in hand. Anyone who tried to step forward or attack him found themselves frozen in place. He slashed the weapon down, jerking the man to his knees so he was eye to eye with Harry. "It'll make me a bit more grumpy than I am now. I stayed because Lady Death said I needed to be here. Now that Loki has been saved, I can go, but if this Thanos enslaved Loki once he can do it again. I really don't want to have to break the mind control again. Dying hurts. Coming back hurts. You shoot me just to feel better, Eyepatch, and I promise that I'll make your life a living hell. I've been nice up to this point. Do not make me angry."

The man gave a curt nod and Harry released him.

"Great. Now, we're going to the conference room. Hop to it."

He walked out of the room, a chuckling Loki at his side as Harry stumbled with his new, too short legs.

"I'm hiring you. You're coming with me. That's a good parlor trick I can use on the board at Stark Industries. They're all like Fury except more quiet about their evil tendencies. Thinking I have to -"

"Not for sale, Stark," Harry chuckled, glancing to his other side to see a grinning Stark. Harry slowed his pace to allow the man to take the lead as out of the three of them, Stark would probably know where the conference room was. "I already have a," his face contorted into a scowl, " _job_. After that I'll be dead, so I'm afraid I'll have to refuse."

"I'll give you paid time off, dental, medical, the whole nine yards. The only times you would have to come in would be when I do, which is like, once a month, maybe twice. I'll pay you big bucks, too. And the name's Tony. You can't call me Stark if you don't have a last name for me to reciprocate." He turned to start walking backwards, waving an arm in the air when he saw a familiar figure, "Banner! Hurry it up, you're with us!"

Harry tried to smother his grin as he heard the others following behind, some of whom were grumbling under their breath. "Sorry, Tony. I'm not interested."

"What else are you going to do until this soul gig is up?"

"Live in peace without being surrounded by others and helping people move on?"

"Sounds boring," Stark paused by a door.

"Boring is always best." Harry walked into the large room, which held a u-shaped table big enough to fit twenty people. He frowned, seeing as the table stood almost as tall as him. The others filed in, Fury went around to get into the center with Coulson behind him.

Stark didn't sit at the table, instead leaning against the wall. Rogers took the first available seat. Thor took one on the east side. Romanoff stood on the far side of the room, in a corner. The archer went to stand by Romanoff's side, who didn't even glance at the man. Banner hesitatingly sat a few chairs away from Rogers. Loki stood on the opposite wall of Thor, a scowl sitting heavily in place.

Harry huffed and stalked forwards, swishing his wand around. Books appeared from nowhere and created a platform for him to stand on so he was at least the same height as everyone else.

Fury spread his arms out, "Well, Harry No-last-name?"

"You need to come up with a better moniker. Anyway, Loki said something about a person named Thanos?"

"The mad titan," Thor spoke up. "He's been going around the nine realms, planet by planet, and wiping out half of the population on each as he goes."

Harry paused. The entire room quieted, and then,

"And you haven't stopped him?"

"What did they do to piss him off?"

Harry's head whipped to Stark and scoffed, "Honestly?"

"What? It's a legit question!"

Rolling his eyes, Harry took a deep breath to center himself. "Right. Thor, why hasn't he been dealt with?"

"He's the mad titan, worlds have fallen to him and his children."

Harry tilted his head to the side, "Ok. Let's try this a different way." He pressed a hand to his forehead before he looked directly at Thor. "Has anyone _tried_ to stop him?" _Did you and Asgard, a warrior based world, just sit and watch_ knowing _that he was out there killing innocent lives?_

Thor flinched, his jaw tightening, but he did not lower his eyes, "No one has tried to stop him, Brú Enda."

_Why am I not surprised?_ Harry dropped his gaze so he was no longer looking anyone in the eyes.

"Do you even know why he's doing this?"

"He's courting... well... he says Death, but he's courting Hel." Thor glanced over at Loki.

"What?"

Eyepatch glanced over at Loki's outburst, "He's going after his _daughter_?" He jerked a thumb over at Loki.

Stark laughed, wrapping his arms around his stomach. The rest of the group stayed silent, staring as Loki began to pace.

"And you didn't _think_ to tell me? Did the All-Father not -"

"He didn't think you had to know and asked I keep the knowledge to myself until a time came -"

"He didn't think I had a right to know that a titan, _the last titan,_ is _courting my daughter?_ " Loki hissed, stepping forwards towards Thor, eyes narrowed and focused. "Does Hel even know?"

Thor shrugged, "I don't know."

" _I do. I can't do anything as it is not my place to balance the wrongs that have been committed."_

"She does. And I'd like to know why no one told her there's a titan after her? It's rude that no one thought to warn her."

" _That's uncharacteristically kind, Little One."_

Harry ignored her.

Thor looked at Harry, as if confused, "Only one who is either at death's door or already dead may go see her."

"Or me," Loki snarled.

"Yes, but -"

"I am surely not the only Path Bringer you know," Harry interrupted.

Thor's mouth snapped shut.

"That's what I thought," Harry sighed. "Would - Lady Death, can you handle Thanos?"

"You are not involving -"

" _Yes. He is mortal, even if he is a god. Even gods die. But like I said, I cannot get involved unless ordered to."_

" - my daughter in -"

"If she is strong enough surely -"

"Why am I here? I don't know anything about gods or titans."

"Who can order you?"

" _That isn't -"_

" - whatever plan you have -"

"Neither do I, Banner, but you have to admit it's interesting to -"

"Nat, why is there a kid here who -"

" _\- something that I can -"_

" - concocted in your head and I will - "

"ENOUGH!" Harry bellowed. "This is _not_ working." He held out his hand, "I'll be back," he crooked his fingers and the gun in Coulson's holster was ripped from the man and landed solidly into Harry's open palm.

"Whoa!" The _twang_ from the bow had Harry absentmindedly creating a shield around him that the arrow bounced off of.

Harry turned to the archer who looked surprised. The emotions running around the man had Harry snapping his fingers, "You're the one that was with Romanoff the day she came after me."

"I don't recognize you, so... no. I'm not."

Harry rolled his eyes and gestured at himself, letting the air around him ripple and contort until the image of his red headed body came into existence. "I look a bit different now." He dropped the illusion.

" _What are you doing, Little One?"_

"The safety could have been off."

Harry looked over at Coulson and grinned at the man, "Nah, you're the type of person who is very particular about how things are done. There is no obvious threat, so why wouldn't the safety be on? That's why I didn't go for hers," he gestured to the Black Widow. "One of you might have gotten shot. As I'm the only one who can come back from the dead, I figured you'd appreciate the consideration." he shrugged, "Be back." He brought the gun to his head after flicking off the safety.

" _Do not do what I think you -"_

There were multiple people lunging for him, but Harry pulled the trigger.

\- BE -

"Oh, bloody hell. A shot to the brain is not painless. It hurts so much more than the killing curse."

"Of course it does. While you're alive, your brain is telling your entire body that you're in pain." The annoyed tone in Lady Death's voice had him blinking his eyes and staring at Hel. She stood in front of him, arms crossed and hip cocked, a scowl etched on her face. "And why did you shoot yourself so shortly after being here?"

"I was getting a headache with everyone talking over each other. This is easier. I can speak with you without the others listening in."

She sighed, "You just gained the ability to speak to others with your mind, yet you figured it'd be easier to speak to me face to face?"

"Really? I thought I had to have eye contact."

"It's easier with eye contact, but it's like all magic. _Intent_." She shook her head, the black, grey, white colored strands spilling around her shoulders. "Well, you are here. Say your piece."

"We need to get rid of Thanos."

She straightened and black shadows seemed to swirl around her, "And?"

"Look, if he doesn't already know that your father is free, he will. He'll go after Loki again. Which means you'll want to save Loki, again." He spread his hands. "So, go after Thanos."

Her lips quirked up in a smile, "Ah, but I already told you. I cannot do so, unless ordered."

He scowled, "I was going to save your boon for something else."

"Why not just wait until my father is taken again? Why not wait until I ask you to help me save him again? Why not wait until I'd owe you yet another debt?"

"No one deserves to be tortured and put under mind control. I won't let him go through that again just so I can benefit."

She smiled. "And if you could ask something of me, what would you ask for?"

"Take away these powers. I don't want them and I don't want to live for however long I have to. I've died four times already. I just... want to go where I'm supposed to."

She sighed, "It is not such a simple thing, Harry."

Harry snorted, "Is it ever?"

"I have not been... entirely truthful."

"I couldn't tell," he said sarcastically.

She gestured and two chairs appeared. "Come, sit. I will tell you what I can."


	6. Chapter 5

Harry obliged and took a seat, bringing his feet up on the cushion and gestured for Hel to begin.

She did not disappoint. "I am not Death. I watch over the dead. As you said, I am a goddess like my father."

"I said being, not goddess, but whatever. And is your father also a goddess?"

"I'm a goddess. My father is a god. Must you interrupt me?"

"You said I said, and that isn't what I said and - you know what? Nevermind. Continue."

Hel chuckled. "We have rather long lives, brought to end only by being killed or from very, very old age. We are more likely to be killed. When I am gone, another god will replace me. That is the way of the realms, the way of life. There are two beings that are older than all the gods that cannot be touched by death: Death herself and the Creator."

"The Creator?" Harry very purposefully thought, " _Not a very creative name."_

" _Shush."_ Though Harry thought he could see a grin beginning to form on her face. "He brings life to the realms and to the worlds. They have been here since the beginning and have no names other than the ones I mentioned. No one knows if they ever die. They have been here before us, and they will surely be here after us."

"And that has to do with me how?"

She gracefully sat in her own chair, running her fingers over the decaying portion of her face. Her nail flicked off dead flesh and scratched at the bone underneath. She smiled when Harry did not look away. "There is a hierarchy in which we all adhere to. I am in charge of Hel and my Brú Endas. They are in charge of bringing the souls of the dead to me. No soul is ever lost, or forgotten. Once dead, the soul will travel towards the closest Brú Enda for closure. Some will fade before then, for they have found their own way."

"All of them go to Hel?"

She nodded, "There is no judgement in death. When a person dies, their soul is cleansed and they pass on."

Harry sagged with relief, but then his brows furrowed in confusion, "Then why are there ghosts?"

"There are those who feel as though they are still needed in the mortal realm. Because of this, they leave an imprint of themselves. They truly do not stay. The ghost is not really their soul, just an echo they left behind."

That made a weird kind of sense. "What about evil people?"

She shrugged and dropped her hand to her lap, "They are dead and cleansed. Neither the Creator or Death are perfect. All souls are born flawed and they die flawed. Who are we to judge when we are all imperfect? No, they all come to Hel and here they stay in their own world of their own making and they are able to see those who they wish to see and who wish to see them."

"So... hell, with to ll's, is... nothing?"

"Not nothing. Some people believe they deserve hell, and that is where they go until they feel they have suffered long enough."

His eyes widened, "But wouldn't that... scar the soul?"

"Little One, _everything_ scars the soul. Who are you to judge what someone does or doesn't deserve?"

Harry bit his lip, looking to the side.

"Exactly. No one, not even Death or Creator, has that power. Only the soul themselves. Now, my Brú Endas listen to me, and I... I listen to Death herself." She cocked her head and gave a little hum in thought before continuing, "I have a strict... recruitment policy and Death has two."

"Two?"

"Yes. Two. The first is for my position. A god is not just born. A god is _created_ by choice and chosen either by Creator or Death. I was chosen by Death and I accepted. Father was not pleased when I chose, but one of the stipulations is that I am able to see my family." She smiled, clasping her hands together on her lap. "Fenrir and Jormungand, my half-siblings Sleipnir, Nari, and Vari, and my father are able to travel to my land with no ill happening to them." She paused and sighed, "We are not here to talk of my family. No. That is Death's first position."

Harry waited, but she said nothing, "And the second?"

She frowned, "I am not sure what position it is, but it is one that works directly _with_ Death. She has been searching for millenia and no one, on any of the planets in the nine realms, had ever met the qualifications she needed to be met." She tilted her head. "Until you."

"Me? What the hell did I do?"

"You brought the three gifts together. You met my qualifications then. However, instead of hoarding them, you collected them and left them behind, even when you learned of what they were and what they did. After you used the ring to see your dead family, you dropped it because you knew you would see them again in death. You had the cloak, but you did not use it to hide from death. You gained the wand's allegiance and used it only to restore your own personal wand and then placed the Elder Wand where it could do no harm and be won by anyone else." She watched Harry as he fidgeted and looked anywhere but at her. "You had all three, you knew what they were, what that meant. And you gave them up so that you may die for others because death is not something to be feared. You passed Death's qualifications when so many have failed. You, from a world that is still tiny and new, a mere babe compared to all others, and yet you succeeded."

"What does that mean?"

"I do not know," she spread her hands out. "My job, as Death told me, is for me to teach you your powers and she when the time comes she will explain everything to you. However, you are stubborn and you wanted to wait for your time to end so you may see your family. You helped the souls because your heart refused to allow them to suffer, but you did not reach for the power until I had to force you to."

"Great, I'm odd. That's not surprising. I've known that my whole life. What's the point?"

"I owe you a debt, for allowing me to aid my father. As I explained, all souls have flaws, and one of mine is my family. However, even as I swore to grant you a boon, I cannot give you what you ask for. It is not within my power to undo what has become of you. You are not mine."

He blinked, "I'm Death's?"

"Yes."

He frowned, running his tiny hands through his hair. He eyed the shadows that crawled along the dark floor, running over his feet in a caress he couldn't feel. Finally he looked up and nodded, "Fine. You can't release me from this... contract of yours, but Death can."

She stared at him blankly, "What?"

"To repay my debt, help us get rid of Thanos - which will undeniably help you and _your family_ \- and take me to Death so I can speak with her. Today. Now."

Her single good eye widened. "You... want to talk to Death. _Now_?"

"Yes. Now."

"That's not... exactly how it works."

"You can message her, right? The whole telepathic thing you can do?"

"So can you."

"That's not the point. You can reach her?"

"... Yes."

"Great. Help with Thanos, let me talk to her, and we'll call it even with you killing me to save your father." He held out his hand. "Deal?"

She paused, "She may not agree."

"Then you will try every day until she does. Blame me. I don't care. I _will_ speak with her.

She reached out with her good hand, "It is agreed."

\- BE -

Harry was lying down when the shadows first appeared. They came from nothing and nowhere. They just showed up and began to creep over his body. He should have been surprised or nervous at the animated shadows, but he wasn't. Instead he stared ahead, though he couldn't see anything except more of those shadows. Lady Death - he supposed he should think of her as Hel - had told him to wait while she saw what she could do. If nothing came from this day, Harry would go back to the mortal realm and Hel would take over Harry's body once more so she could take care of Thanos.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed there, staring at nothing but the blackness. Time didn't really seem to matter.

"Harry James Potter, son to James Fleamont Potter and Lily Josephine Potter nee Evans. Descendent of Ignotus Peverell. He who had been gifted with my cloak of invisibility which he used to stay hidden from my sight until he came to me of his own free will. You have requested my presence. I am here."

The voice was lilting, words bleeding together softly. A whisper that echoed in his mind and he could feel himself relaxing as the shadows around him seemed to vibrate and move towards the source.

He sat up and blinked.

She seemed young, but Harry couldn't tell for sure. She wasn't human. She was feline, small and lean and almost _dainty_. She stood perhaps at three feet. Fur covered her body, and her face wasn't quite like any cat he'd seen before. Her eyes were slanted and golden in color with purple irises that were slitted like a cat, but her nose seemed similar to a snake's. Her mouth didn't have lips and jutted out in a snout. She grinned and Harry could see rows of teeth.

"I am not what you expected."

Shadows weaved over her body as a covering, most of her charcoal grey fur hidden and even blending in with the living darkness.

"Ah... not quite. I also did not expect you to actually agree to see me."

"I am aware. I am also aware of what you would ask of me."

"Do you?" He glanced past her and hesitatingly asked, "And... Hel... is she here?"

"What we are to speak of is not for her ears or anyone else's. And I do know what you wish to ask."

"Then... can you? Can I move on?"

"No."

He flinched at her softly spoken word, even when there was no infliction of malice in the single syllable.

"Why?"

She moved forward, movement graceful and nearly fluid. Her arm reached out, claws that looked eerily like fingers touched his skin, keeping him looking at her. "You have a role to play, Harry James Potter. Your decisions brought you here and you have a path you must now follow."

His voice cracked, "And what is that?"

"Your ancestors started the story of the Master of Death, for those who gather the three objects," she released his chin, but Harry couldn't look away. "However, that is not quite correct. You are no Master of Death, for Death can have no master. You are Death."

"What _?"_

"I am old. Older than the nine realms combined. Older than the tree that serves as the foundation. My home is long gone," her eyes glazed over and stared past Harry. "And for the last millennia, I knew my time as Death would one day come to an end. As I replaced Death before me, you will replace me."

" _What?"_

"As I am sure Hel has told you, even the gods die eventually. So must we. Because there are so few of us who can take up the mantle of Death, we have a longer existence and cannot be killed by normal means. Sometimes, we must wait eons for our successor."

"But... I don't want this!"

"And that, exactly, is one of the endless reasons you are chosen to be Death. You walked towards me, ready for the end. You smiled, you embraced the concept because you knew death was not to be feared. You came to me, with the thought that you couldn't go back. When given the choice to rest or save those dearest to you, you went back. Harry James Potter, you are to be Death and continue to balance life. You know you are flawed and will not judge those who come to you. You have compassion to understand those when others would simply condemn. You do not judge because you _cannot_.

"You simply understand. That is Death. Understanding and balance. Souls can only go to two places. The mortal realm and the immortal one." She cocked her head, "We care not for debts or what is owed."

"But... but I want to see my family."

"You are Death. You can see your family however much as you please."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Right... so, if I do… accept. What would I have to do?"

"The job of Death is quite simple. You ensure that when the body of a soul dies they go to Hel, and stay there. And when the nine realms end, you will go to the next place that is created. You have Hel here to keep the Brú Enda's in line. You will gain my memories, and coincidentally all Death's before me, so you know what to do and how to use your powers correctly."

"Umm... what's the downside?"

"You will be alone," she answered immediately. "You can visit those who have passed and who knew you, but this existence as Death is solitary."

He bit his lip and stared at her. Her voice sounded soft and somber, but he couldn't see any emotion in her. "If I don't want to? Then what?"

She sighed, clawed fingers tickling the shadows. "Then I shall wait eons again for the next one who is worthy."

"I thought I don't have a choice?"

"You do not, not really. If you do not take up the mantle of Death you will be stuck in this limbo for all your days with all your powers stripped."

"Right. That doesn't seem like much of a choice."

She nodded, "I raged when I was first told. I had given what I had thought was everything by the time Death told me, and he wanted me to give yet more. I had no wish for eternity. Not a single moment has passed that I do not wish I could stay with my family. The pain never lessened when I had to tell them goodbye, and I lost a little bit of myself every time I left them. I eventually chose to stop visiting them. I do not know what is left of me from when I first became Death. I do not think that any of that girl is still alive. Still, there are the bright moments to this existence. I get to see fledgling species thrive. I get to see the birth of planets. I get to know the flawed souls around me. Our lives are solitary ones, but it is not completely lonely."

"How long do I have until I… take over for you?"

She shook her head, "None. There cannot be two Deaths, and the moment that we part ways you will take my place."

"What? Us meeting is going to _kill_ you? Why did you agree to come here?"

"Because it is time. I have lived eons. I have seen stars come alive and I have watched them die. I have given everything that I was, every part of myself to the point I cannot remember my name."

"But I'm not... I'm not ready!"

"No one ever is. Being Death was never supposed to be _easy_. You will do well." She placed both hands on his cheeks. "I will impart this last bit of wisdom before I go:

"Remember who you are. Where you are from. For the moment you forget you will begin to descend to a place you cannot escape."

She pressed her forehead against his neck, her body sagging, "Harry James Potter, do you accept your role?"

He closed his eyes and whispered, "I accept."

She shuddered, "Thank you. You must reset the balance," her voice whispered in his mind, aching and so very soft. When he opened his eyes she was gone except for the shadows.

They danced around the empty space for a moment.

And then they dove for him.

And he screamed.

\- BE -

"Who are you?"

Thanos, the Mad Titan, sat on his throne. His purple body, aged from war. He had his hand on his weapon. His children stood near him.

A man had appeared in the middle of their court in a burst of shadows. The room once lit by fire in the sconces guttered and sent the room into darkness.

He had unruly black hair. He had bright green eyes. He had a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. He had a shimmering cloak draped around his shoulders. He had a ring holding an ebony stone on his middle finger of his left hand. He had a long wooden stick in his right hand.

He looked at the Mad Titan and his children. He looked into their souls.

Ebony Maw: calm and calculated. Respectful of his father. Hate for his siblings. All other beings were mere animals compared to his father and himself. Sadistic.

Proxima Midnight: Fiercely loyal to her father and husband. Warrior spirit. Cruel. Arrogant. Fierce. Sadistic.

Corvus Glaive: Merciless. Arrogant. Cruel. Loyalty to siblings, wife, and father. Sadistic.

Cull Obsidian: Savage. Pleasure in the fight, in the kill. Reckless. Loyal only to Thanos.

Gamora: Stoic. Distant. Merciless. Honorable. Aggressive and ruthless. Restraint. Caring. Hatred and love towards Thanos. Selflessness.

Nebula: A deep want to prove her worth. Little loyalty. Highly sadistic to targets. No regret. Deep, uncontrollable hatred.

Thanos: Sadistic. Cruel. Tortured. Relentless. Arrogant. Manipulative. Mistrustful. Ruthless. Yet he loved his children. Compassionate. But ruthlessly strict. Regret. Remorse so strong that led to madness.

The titan stood and the man in the middle of the floor met his gaze squarely and unflinching.

"Who are you to enter without permission?"

The pale man grinned, the shadows in the room coming towards him and wrapping him in their embrace. "I am here to balance what you have disrupted."

"What do -"

The man pointed his wand at each being, he called out their names, and claimed them. "You are mine, Thanos of Titan. As are you, Ebony Maw of the Black Order, Proxima Midnight of the Black Order, Corvus Glaive of the Black Order, Cull Obsidian of the Black Order, and Nebula of the Black Order. It is time for balance once more."

The bodies of those who he called out started cracking, breaking apart. Shouts left their lips and they lunged at the man. Ebony Maw was the only one who had a chance as he used his power to lift the man off his feet. However, Ebony Maw drifted apart in a flurry of ashes and the strange man lowered softly back onto the ground.

The others of the Black Order followed, until only Thanos and Gamora remained, the titan's face contorted into rage and pain. "I cannot. There is still much I have left to accomplish!"

The man walked forward. He placed a palm on the titan's head, "Rest. Your people are not forgotten and your purpose fulfilled. Rest, it is time to see them again."

Thanos closed his eyes and broke apart under the man's hand.

The man turned and stared at the green skinned woman with dark red hair. She glanced at the ashes on the floor around her before focusing once more on the man. "You left me alive. Why?"

"I saw into your soul, Gamora, last of the Zehoberei. You are more than what Thanos created you to be. Do not disappoint me. Know this, if you continue where he left off, I will come back for your soul." He turned, summoning the rest of the shadows to him, but her voice called to him and he paused.

"Who are you?"

He didn't look back, but he did answer: "I am Harry James Potter. I am Death."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand end! :) This did not go where I expected it to... O.O I had thought this would be another long multi-chap fic (like 60 chapters long, I had an outline (sorta) and everything. It was supposed to be: Hel is Death, Harry/Loki, Loki's children were gonna be a HUGE part of the story, the consequences of Loki having children (Valkyrie, Asgard history, etc.) and the story was going to go through the last Avenger movie). But my characters were like: "Yeah, no, that's not how this works. You go HERE" and... Well... Here we are.
> 
> The second part of the series isn't from Harry's POV and did nothing for his story, so it didn't actually make it into the work, but I thought all of you would like to read it. It actually goes in between where Harry talks to Death and Thanos at the end. (I'll be explaining a little bit more about Death there)


End file.
